On May 3, 2023, students of Delhi University planned a march in solidarity with wrestlers who are protesting against alleged sexual harassment. The march was to begin at Arts Faculty, DU and invited Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia as the chief guest. However, more than 50 Delhi Police and RAF personnel came to the protest site and imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which prohibits the gathering of four or more people. The police also announced on a speaker that there should be no gathering around the site.
But, the students changed the venue of the march. The Delhi police then started detaining the students from the site, where hundreds of students were raising slogans in solidarity with women wrestlers. The students raised slogans demanding justice for the protesting wrestlers and also demanded the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The Wire spoke to several students who were protesting.
“We were protesting to extend our support for protesting wrestlers. Our women wrestlers are protesting for days and the Delhi police is detaining students and threatening them to not raise their voices against the government. I want to make this clear: we will keep extending support to our women wrestlers and we demand the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh,” said Aishe Ghosh, president of JNUSU.
The solidarity march by the DU students was a joint call by several organisations including the Students Federation of India, All India Students Association, Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch, Krantikari Yuva Sangathan and others.